Service
by The-Missing-Paige
Summary: Alphonse, being the kind boy he is, has enrolled in Troubled Youth, a program where honor students help rougher kids study and improve their grades, often along with their attitude. Even when he is assigned to Envy, the scariest, most dangerous guy in the entire school, Al is not daunted. But Envy has a dark past, and Al will need Edward's help if he's going to help him. Modern day
1. Chapter 1

Alphonse could barely keep himself seated in his chair, he was so excited. As it was, he could not stop his hands from fidgeting, his legs from bouncing, even though his neighbor was starting to look irritated. See, Al actually _wanted_ to be here, at Troubled Youth. He loved helping people, and thought this was a great opportunity to assist other kids at his school (Central Public, or CP for short) who had it rough. In truth, Alphonse was probably the only person in the room who wanted to be there; the "bad" kids in his school were forced to attend, and the other honor students seemed to only be involved because it looked good, not because they wanted to.

Oh, well. Al was excited, and that was that.

The teacher at the front of the room continued to read off names in pairs, and slowly the seats emptied. Alphonse found himself nearly shaking in anticipation, and then his name was finally called, along with—

Envy?

Wow, that was a bit of a shock. Al leaped up from his chair, smiling widely at the green-haired boy he was paired with. Inside, he had to admit he was just a little intimidated—Envy was widely known as the worst CP had to offer. He did drugs, got arrested for violence all the time, and barely bothered to dress himself (right now, he was wearing his usual ensemble of a half-shirt, tiny short/skirt combination, and no shoes). He rode a motorcycle on the few days a year he came to school, and cursed so much sometimes it was hard to make out what he was saying.

In short, Envy was trouble.

As Alphonse expected, his grin was not returned. In fact, as he walked over to the other boy, Envy didn't even move, just glared at him, muttering a faint, "Fuck my life," as Al neared.

Ignoring this, Al forged ahead. "Hey, Envy."

The green-haired boy snorted. "Don't act all fucking friendly with me, dickwad. Look, I know you're just here to make you look all the more fucking perfect, so why don't you just let me go and we can pretend we've done the shit we're supposed to, okay?"

Alphonse, though sighing inwardly at how hard this was going to be, refused to be daunted. "Nope, can't do it. I'm _not_ here to look good, I'm here because I want to be."

Envy stared up at him with disbelief. "Goddammit that's worse!"

"Too bad," Al held his ground. "Come on, get up, I want to get started."

Grumbling, Envy pulled himself up and stood tall, towering over Alphonse. He flipped his hair (which hung every which way about his face, Al often wondered how he managed that) and said, "Get on with it then, I don't want to be in this shithole all day."

Al led Envy out of the room silently, wondering how he would approach his assignment. They kept walking until they were out of the building, where Alphonse stopped and turned. "Alright, Envy, I know you're not going to make this easy, but I really do want to help you. So I have so rules that you _will_ be following."

The green-haired boy smirked. "You wanna bet, bitch?"

Al stared Envy directly in his odd purple eyes. "Yeah, I do. You may have your knife, but I was trained in self-defense—and so was my brother. You can't hurt me, and you sure aren't going to change my mind."

Envy rolled his eyes. "Who's your brother?"

Alphonse was confused by this question but answered, "Ed. You might know him, he's in your grade…"

"Pipsqueak!" Envy laughed, delighted. "Oh, this is too perfect. He's the fucking _best_ person to irritate, you know."

A plan started to form in Al's mind, slightly devious, but worth a shot. "If you work with me, we can study at my house. He's usually there."

Still grinning, Envy waved him off. "Fine, fine, lay it on me."

Inwardly clapping at his small victory, Alphonse began to list his rules. "Okay, no drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes for starters."

Already, this was an issue. "You have _got_ to be motherfucking kidding me, I _need_ that shit."

"No, you _don't_." Al was firm. "Next, you have to not only study with me, but actually come to school every day." He was answered with a groan. "And this last one is more of a request, because it doesn't matter as much, but…_please_ put on some actual clothes."

"Uh, yeah, I don't think so. You're already taking away my shit, I'm _not_ going to change my clothes."

Al had expected this, but still sighed, disappointed. "Fine. Just the first two things, then." He held out his hand for Envy to shake.

The older boy snorted, but shook. "I'd better have a _lot_ of fucking fun messing with your brother."

Feeling slightly guilty that he had traded his brother's peace for cooperation, but nonetheless relieved, Al grinned. "You will. Now, c'mon, first lesson starts now."

"Oh, _hell_."

* * *

"Okay, capital of South Africa?"

"How the hell would I know? I don't even know where South Africa _is_."

Edward stood in his open doorway, eyebrows raised at the scene before him. "It's in _southern Africa_, Envy." He said, rolling his eyes as he got the finger in response. "Al, what's he _doing_ here? And…why are you two in my bedroom?"

Al's eyes shone. "I was assigned to help Envy at Troubled Youth today, Brother! I thought we should get started right away, but he wouldn't study unless we came into your room, so…"

Ed breathed deeply, shaking his head. "So this is going to be a regular thing?"

"Hell yes it is," Envy answered, stretching out on Edward's bed. "Bother you, Shorty?"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE COULD HIDE BEHIND A GRAIN OF RICE!?" Edward exploded, causing the green-haired boy on his bed to laugh. He scowled; irritated that he couldn't control the outburst…he just _hated_ being called short. He was only a junior, he could still grow.

"Holy _shit_, that one was funny!" Envy wiped imaginary tears from his eyes as he calmed down. Alphonse, too, looked rather happy, though Ed couldn't guess why.

"By the way, Brother," he said, "I've invited Envy to dinner with us."

Edward took a moment, then replied simply: "Al, I've got to talk to you."

* * *

Once out of earshot, Ed began whispering in earnest. "Al, you know who Envy is, what kind of shit he gets into. Plus he's _dangerous_—do you have any idea how many times he's pulled that knife on somebody? I don't think you should go through with the project, or at the very least, don't invite him to _dinner—_don't be around him any more than is necessary."

"Brother, you know I can't quit," Alphonse rebuked. "And besides that, it's like I told Envy, he can't hurt me; I know how to protect myself, and so do you. We'll be okay. I want him to be around me as much as possible, Brother. I don't want this to just be some project, I really want to help him, and I think the best way to do that is to get him around better people."

Edward could not help but smile at his little brother's kindness. While he wasn't one to deny someone help, the ease with which Alphonse gave assistance out was on a whole different level, and it was something Ed greatly admired. "Fine," he said, "but be careful. I don't want him sucking you into his world."

Al laughed. "Don't worry so much, Brother!"

They walked back to Ed's room. Upon re-opening the door, they found Envy still on the bed, arms crossed. "So, what's for dinner?"

Edward sighed, ignoring Al's apologetic look. This was going to be a long few weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

"Envy," Al said, as calm as possible.

"What!?" the older boy snarled, hunched over on Edward's bed.

"You smell like cigarettes."

"So fucking _what_?" Envy snapped back, glaring at Alphonse, who was seated at a desk across the room.

Al sighed. It was only day two, and already Envy was getting irritable. "It was one of our rules that you were not to drink, smoke, or do drugs."

"I'm _not_ doing drugs, that's the fucking _problem_!" Envy jumped off the bed, his skort riding up dangerously. He paced the room, wringing his hands. "I _want_ them, goddammit! No, scratch that, I _need_ them!"

"No, Envy, you don't." All Al felt he could do was try to reason with the green-haired boy. He didn't want to get forceful (though he would if he had to), and besides, this was a good time to start informing Envy that he didn't have to take drugs, that he could get over that phase of his life. "The desire will fade over time. I suppose I understand you smoking to compensate, but really, you should try to stay away from that, too. It's bad for your health."

Envy laughed, a hollow, unsettling sound. "You think I care about my _health_? It's a little late for that, my body's in the shithouse already. I know that—I'm not stupid."

Okay, it was time to get forceful. Ed would not be happy if he came home and saw Alphonse dealing with Envy when he was like this. "You _are_ stupid if you keep doing what you're doing. Just because you've already injured yourself doesn't mean you should continue. You have to learn, and change, and you will get better."

Envy's eyes seemed far away as he responded, and his voice was—there was no other word for it—_frightening_, but at least he was no longer yelling. "What if I don't fucking want to get better? What if I like being a jackass, a messed-up son of a bitch, the trash of society? What if that's where I belong? No matter what you do, I'm not going to be a _perfect prick_ like you and your brother."

Alphonse almost smiled, though there was nothing enjoyable about the situation he was in. This, at least, was beginning to get at the heart of the problem—Envy's attitude, his lack of attention in school, his drug abuse, all of it was caused by one simple fact: Envy did not like himself.

"Is this what withdrawal looks like?" Edward remarked, standing casually in the doorway. The hardness of his eyes and the muscle tensed in his jaw offset his calm mask.

No, no, no! Al begged his brother silently to leave, surprised he hadn't heard him arrive home. He was convinced this was a great moment to make some progress with Envy, and while he loved Ed dearly, his older brother was likely to complicate the situation. Of course, telepathy was just a fantasy, and Edward did not get the message.

"It's not very attractive," Ed continued, glaring at Envy, who was staring back, wild-eyed. "Why do you take drugs if this is what happens when you're away from them?"

A fair question, but the effect was disastrous. Envy seemed to calm, his shoulders relaxing and the scowl on his face retreating. However, rather than become complacent, he reached a hand into his skort, and pulled out a knife. It was distinctive, the handle black and worn with an odd red design at the base, the blade curved and sharp.

The green-haired boy advanced on Edward, who did not back down. Envy stopped with the point of the knife a few inches away from Ed's throat. "Listen here, fuckass," he whispered, face devoid of emotion (which was notably more disturbing than his previous raving). "Why I do what I do is _none of your fucking business_. If I want to do drugs, I will. If I want to sleep around and be a whore, I will. If I want to flunk out of school, neither you nor your pretentious shithead of a brother is going to stop me. And If I want to slice open your throat right here, right now, _I might just do it_."

Edward didn't back down, though he bared his teeth in response to Envy's little speech. "Leave." The one word was forceful, and it was enough to get the green-haired boy to drop his hand, along with the knife he held so lovingly, to his side.

Alphonse watched, aghast at the entire spectacle, as Envy muttered, "Don't need to tell me twice, asswipe," and walked out, shouldering his way past Ed and slamming the front door.

"What…just…happened?" he whispered, unsure as to how his desire to help people had resulted in a knife being pointed at his brother.

Edward, on the other hand, didn't show any sign of being shaken by the encounter. "You just saw for yourself how dangerous Envy is, Al. He's a psychopath—we really ought to call the cops, get him off the streets before he kills someone, if he hasn't already." Ed took a deep breath to stop his ranting, and walked over to Al. "Listen, you're quitting the program, or at least being reassigned. That guy's real trouble, not just a kid who doesn't do his homework, and I won't have you getting hurt for his sake."

At this, Alphonse emerged from his stupor. "I can't, Brother. You don't understand. Envy needs help, even if he won't admit it. I've been put in a position to help him, and I can't just ignore that."

"You can't get killed for him, Al!" Edward countered, voice rising in volume.

"I won't, Brother, you know that!" Alphonse looked into his brother's eyes, exasperated by how Ed clearly didn't get it. "I can defend myself, you can defend yourself. This is the perfect environment for Envy, one where he can't actually hurt anyone around him. If I give up on him, someone else might get hurt, and Envy will probably never get the help he needs. I _have_ to do this, Brother."

Edward gazed at Al, eyes calculating. He sighed. "If I didn't know you'd go through with this anyway, I'd put a stop to it. As it is, _if _he comes back—and I'm not sure that he will, I don't even know how you got him here in the first place—that knife is being confiscated. He's going to have to show some serious desire for improvement, because I am _this close_ to taking care of that asshole myself."

"It'll all work out, Brother."

And somehow, Alphonse really believed that. He would figure out what _exactly_ was wrong with Envy, what he could do to fix it. He would do whatever it took, and at the end of it, Envy wouldn't necessarily be back on track, but he wouldn't be as hopeless as he was now.

Envy wasn't a lost cause, not to Al, and he wouldn't let Edward stop him from doing everything he could for the older boy.


	3. Chapter 3

Alphonse found himself biting the end of his pencil. Again.

He looked at the clock. 4:15. Al sighed, knowing that if Envy didn't show up soon, he probably wasn't going to ever again.

To preoccupy himself, Alphonse looked through his notes once more, making sure the study plan for Envy (should he return) was perfect and ready to go. With the incident yesterday, Al wanted to get Envy some help as soon as possible; he wasn't sure how long Edward would put up with the green haired boy.

A knock sounded on the door, hesitant, and Al's heart leaped in his chest. That was Envy, it had to be!

He opened the door, and found that his suspicions were correct. Envy stood before him, arms crossed and eyes averted, though his gaze flickered to see who had answered the door before flitting away again.

"Look, before you say anything…" he began, not allowing Alphonse to speak. "I'm…sorry, okay? Ugh, I don't think I've _ever_ said that before…" Envy shuddered. "But I am. I know I'm a jackass, but you didn't actually do anything wrong. Your brother's kind of a pain in the ass, but I overreacted. So…yeah."

It was quite possibly the most awkward apology Al had ever witnessed; the junior clearly didn't feel comfortable being so polite (though using that word was a bit of a stretch). However, Alphonse was more than happy to take it—not only was Envy back, he had actually made the effort to say he was sorry, which was a huge improvement in character already.

Al didn't say anything, just smiled and motioned the older boy inside his home. The duo began to study right away, but Envy was more distracted than usual. He was sullen, and curled in on himself. If Alphonse didn't know any better, he would say Envy looked…scared. It was in the wringing of his hands and the glances the green haired boy kept throwing toward the door to Ed's bedroom.

Of course, Envy was probably nervous for when Edward came home. It was one thing to face the brother of the person you threatened, and quite another to face the person threatened, especially if that person was Ed.

Once again, Al's intuition was correct; the front door opened, and Envy jumped, startled, before rising.

As Edward walked into his bedroom, Al promised himself he would stay quiet. This one was for the two older boys to work out.

* * *

Edward wasn't really that surprised to see Envy back in his bedroom (though he still didn't know why Al had to choose_ his_ room for them to study in). As determined as his little brother was, there was practically no other alternative; either Envy had come himself, or Al had dragged him back.

But just because he wasn't _surprised_ didn't mean Ed wasn't _pissed_. Looking at the guy who would put a knife to your throat wasn't a pleasant one.

Edward stared at Envy, raising his eyebrows. The green haired boy had better have some explanation…

"I'm sorry!" Envy blurted. Well, it wasn't an explanation, but it was something that caught Ed off guard. He had been expecting some bullshit excuse, not an apology.

"I…look, I'm not _like_ you," Envy continued. "I know I overreacted, but at the time, pulling a knife out seemed like the thing to do. I see how normal people look at me when I do that kind of thing, I know it's not accepted, but in my world, that kind of shit happens every day."

"Give me the knife," Edward interrupted. It seemed Envy had more to say, but the chances of Ed pissing him off again were high and he didn't want Envy to "overreact" again.

Envy didn't speak, but his expression was oddly pained as he drew the knife out and handed it to Edward, who held it with mild distaste.

"Like I said, I'm sorry. But I _didn't_ sign up for this stupid ass program. I know I have to study and shit, and I'm willing to put up with that, but I didn't expect you two to get all involved in my _life_. I maintain that it's not of your fucking business why I do what I do. So…I'll try to be better about this, and you guys can maybe _not_ pry?"

Something about this whole scenario bothered Edward. Distractedly, he nodded at Envy, and left the room, allowing him and Al to return to studying.

Ed walked into the kitchen and looked around. No—he didn't want to eat, he just needed to _think_. He sat at the table, and placed his chin in his hand.

It was beyond strange for Envy to apologize. Edward had seen and heard of the green haired boy doing horrible things, but had never heard the slightest rumor about remorse for the actions. As far as he knew, this was the first time Envy had ever said he was sorry.

So why? For Envy, threatening someone with a knife probably wasn't that bad—he didn't even actually _cut_ Ed. So what could be prompting this apology?

Beyond that, Edward figured Envy had to have some serious crap in his past to be the way he was now, but…what could have happened to make the green haired boy react so strongly? Ed himself preferred not to talk about his past, his mother's death and being abandoned by his father…but he didn't go around poking knives at people's throats. In fact, he was the exact opposite of Envy: a top student, fairly well-liked…

And there was the matter of Envy saying he didn't want to be here, studying with Al. Well, fine. But if that was true, then why had he bothered coming back? Yes, it was a program rule that he continue for at least three weeks, but Envy had never cared about breaking any rules, or even laws before. It didn't make sense.

The only explanation Edward could come up with was that Envy _wanted_ to be here. As this dawned on Ed, a surprising feeling of guilt welled up inside him. Maybe it was subconscious, but that was it, wasn't it? Envy was reaching out for the help. And even though he threatened Edward when he pried into Envy's personal affairs…deep down, that was probably what he wanted fixed the most.

How could Ed have been so blind?

All along he was worried about Alphonse, who could, as he kept saying, defend himself, and hadn't tried to make life any easier for Envy, when (he was now convinced) the green haired boy was deeply wounded.

Edward stood up, his mind abruptly made. He would let Al take care of helping Envy in school (which was undeniably the safer task—though he would admit Alphonse wasn't a wimp, he still had to look out for his little brother), while he himself would try to work past the other junior's barriers and figure out what was hurting Envy so bad as to make him like this.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Envy didn't show up at the house.

Edward arrived home, and headed for his bedroom—only to see Alphonse sitting there, alone, a worried look on his face.

"Brother, is Envy with you?"

Disappointment welled up inside Ed. Just when he had decided to help the green-haired boy, Envy had to go off and disappear. "No…" he trailed off.

"I'm worried," Al said, pulling on his sweatshirt sleeves. "He usually meets me as I'm walking home, but I didn't see him today…you don't think anything happened to him, do you, Brother?"

Edward threw his backpack down on his bed. "I don't mean to be a downer, but it's possible. We'd better go find him."

Alphonse jumped up, surprised. "I didn't think you would care, Brother. You didn't seem very happy to have Envy here."

"Are you complaining? Call it a change of heart. C'mon, let's get going."

* * *

"I cannot disclose the personal information of _any_ student, Mr. Elric."

Edward clenched his fists, fingernails digging into the wood of the secretary's desk. After all manners of asking (and begging) she _still_ wouldn't just tell him Envy's effing address…he was _this close_ to punching the infuriating woman—

"Excuse me, Ms. Paser," Alphonse interrupted, "but I'm in the Troubled Youth program, and I was assigned to Envy. It's very important that I find him right away."

This changed her attitude entirely. "Well, why didn't you say so sooner…" she turned, looking through a thick file. "Aha, here: 4509 Whiton Road…dear me, that's not a good area…"

"Thanks for that," Edward drawled, grabbing the paper from her hand and sprinting out the door.

* * *

"Well," Ed said, with some uncertainty. "We're here."

The house that stood before them looked as though it was about to fall apart. The windows were duct taped together in many spots, and the stairs leading to the porch were sagging. The paint was peeling, and garbage was lying strewn about the front yard—along with one man, who had evidently passed out. The only thing that seemed secure about the house was the line of locks running down the front door—obviously, they didn't want just anyone getting in.

"I can't believe Envy _lives_ in a place like this…" Al whispered. "Do you think he's inside?"

"Only one way to find out," Edward muttered grimly. "You stay here, Al."

"But, Brother—"

"Look," Ed snapped, "I don't know what it's going to be like in there, and there are some things you just don't need to see." He smiled suddenly, patting Al on the head (though, much to his annoyance, he had to reach up slightly to do so). "Just let me take care of my little brother, alright?"

Edward walked up to the door, and examined the locks. Different sizes and shapes, half a dozen of them kept him out. Shaking his head, Ed turned to a window.

"They're probably too drunk to notice anyway," he muttered, convincing himself before kicking the widow inward.

A few shouts sounded from inside, along with a few drunken laughs. _Well,_ Ed thought, as he carefully picked his way through the hole he had just created, _they noticed, but they are _definitely_ too drugged to care_.

The smell of smoke immediately assaulted him, and Edward coughed. Lying underneath it were messier smells, vomit and unwashed bodies and sex. Ed covered his mouth with his hand. He had been right not to let Alphonse come in with him.

Edward walked around the room he had entered, the living room (if you could call it that). Couples were leaning against the wall, making out on the couches. He saw a trio of girls snort something up their noses. But no sign of Envy.

Groaning, Ed made his way down the hall, entering the first open doorway he saw. While he would search the others if necessary, he didn't want to know what would cause doors to be shut in a place so decrepit as this.

One man and a dozen girls lay cramped upon the bed. Bottles were everywhere, along with an empty needle on the side table.

"Heeey," the man slurred, "join me? I looove me a lil blonde girlie…"

Edward slammed the door to that room, hard, a scowl on his face. When he found Envy, he was going to _kill him_…

Arms wrapped around his waist from behind. Ed spun to see the very boy he had just been plotting to destroy, kneeling on the floor and clinging to Edward. "Edo," he grinned, breath stinking of alcohol. "What're you doin' here?"

Unthinking, Ed slapped Envy hard across the cheek.

"Owww," the green haired boy moaned, cupping his face from his new position on the floor. "What'd you do _that_ for?"

Edward didn't reply, instead hauling Envy to his feet and dragging him towards the exit as fast as he could. No one tried to stop him—hardly anyone even looked up from whatever they were preoccupied with.

Ed felt no sympathy as he tossed Envy out the window, even though he landed with another moan of pain. He followed suit, dragging his fellow junior out to Alphonse, who stood with his mouth agape.

"C'mon, Al, help me get this asshole home."

* * *

It took Envy forever to sober up, and the entire time Edward was getting more and more frustrated. How could the idiot do this? _Why_ would he? Ed shuddered, thinking again about that horrible house.

"Brother," Al called, "I think he's okay now."

Ed walked into his room, taking in the sight of Envy laid out on his bed. "Hey, you sober yet, jackass?"

"Unfortunately," came the reply.

"Good." Edward said, walking over and pulling Envy into a sitting position. "Listen well. I don't know _what_ made you decide to go back there. I don't know what makes you drink, or do anything else you do. And after seeing that house, I don't _want_ to know. And I don't want to hear your _bullshit_ about us leaving you alone—that option went right out the window as soon as I had to walk in there."

Envy stared at Ed apathetically, not saying a word, which was highly unusual. "I don't give a damn about reasons, Envy. You can keep those to yourself all you want. But no matter what happened, the fact is, you don't have to drink, don't have to do drugs, don't have to get into fights or whore yourself out or any of that. You're allowed to be happy, but you have to let it happen."

The green haired boy before him let out a disbelieving sound. "You don't know anything, pipsqueak. I don't _deserve_ to be happy."

"Everyone deserves to be happy, Envy," Al whispered from a quiet corner.

"He's right," Ed affirmed. "Look at us. Our father left us, and our mother died. But we didn't let that stop us; we grieved, and then we got on with living. You can live too."

"What makes you think you can help?" For the first time, Envy looked directly into Edward's eyes. His pupils were wide, purple irises reduced to just a slim ring. There was such desperation in the gaze it made Ed flinch.

"We can't do anything unless you let us."

Envy stared for a moment. "Fuck, I hate getting sober. It makes me such a pushover. You can try. I'll…do my best not to do anything unnecessary."

"Excellent," Ed smiled. "Now, get off my bed. It's late, and _everyone_ here is going to school tomorrow." He forged on, ignoring Envy's protest. "You can sleep on the couch."

Edward walked out with a pillow and blanket, ready to make Envy's makeshift bed.

* * *

Envy looked to Alphonse, incredulous. "What's gotten into _him_?"

Al could give no answer other than a shrug.


	5. Chapter 5

"Holy. Fucking. _Shit_."

Edward rolled his eyes at Envy's words, shaking him again to get the green haired boy out of bed. "Well, good morning to you too—c'mon, you have to get up."

"It's so _fucking early_," Envy groaned, rolling off the bed and onto the floor. He seemed unfazed by the drop. "Do you seriously do this every day?"

"Yep, and we have to get going if we're going to make it to school on time." These words earned Ed another groan from Envy. "Shut up, you can handle this."

Envy pulled himself up, and Edward had to restrain a laugh—the other junior's hair was _everywhere_.

Ed walked back out to the dining room, confident now that Envy would get up and dressed. Maybe not as quickly as he would like, but…

"Envy awake, Brother?"

"Yup. I swear, all the shit he usually sees and _waking up early_ is what he decides he can't handle."

Alphonse laughed, dumping the last of his books into his bag. Edward grabbed a slice of the toast that was sitting on the table, crunching through it with practiced speed as he too packed up.

Envy walked into the room, hair now tamed but eyes still bleary. Al shoved an extra bag (complete with books from the classes he had already completed, and which Envy was now enrolled in) at him. "Time to go, Envy!"

The green haired boy pouted. "What, no break—mmph!" Edward shoved he last piece of toast into Envy's mouth, dragging him to the door.

"So," Envy managed to ask, swallowing a huge chunk of toast. "How d'you get to school?"

Al pointed. "That way."

"Yeah, but I mean, you don't have a car…"

Edward and Alphonse looked at each other, before bursting out laughing. "We walk, of course."

At this, Envy deadpanned. "You've got to be shitting me. No wonder you have to get up so early! You know, you should let me go get my motorcycle—much faster."

Ed was curious. "You've got a motorcycle? I didn't see one at that house…"

"Yeah, well," Envy muttered, looking away. "It _might_ have been confiscated due to a few speeding tickets that never got paid..."

Alphonse laughed, while Ed had to resist the urge to slam his face into his hand. "Look, Envy," Al managed, "if you're on your best behavior for a week, we'll take you to get your motorcycle back. Okay?"

Envy grumbled slightly, but seemed pacified. He smirked, folding his arms over his chest.

At this point, Edward noticed something. "Hey, aren't those the same clothes you had on yesterday?"

"Duh. It's not like I brought any other ones with me, I didn't know I'd be camping out at your place."

"Brother, does this mean-?" Alphonse asked, excited.

"Yep," Edward conceded, "shopping."

"Oh _hell_ no—" Envy began, only to be interrupted by their arrival at school.

* * *

When Ed and Al got out of class, they saw Envy lying on a bench outside Central Public, arm throw across his face dramatically.

Alphonse poked the older boy, causing him to jump up. "You alright, Envy?"

The green haired boy stared at the brothers, eyes wide. "I _learned_!" he half-wailed, as though the prospect was absolutely disgusting.

Edward chuckled. "And now you have to buy actual clothes. It'll be a wonder if you make it 'til nightfall."

After that comment, the brothers literally had to pry Envy off the bench.

"Look," he said as they neared the clothing store, looking queasy. "I'm pretty fucking gorgeous the way I am. You're not _really_ going to make me change, are you?"

Edward turned around, walking backwards casually. "Envy, let's be honest, you look like a hooker."

"Exactly! I'm perfect!"

Alphonse turned his head. "Decent people really don't want to look at you mostly naked all day, Envy."

"Well then," the green haired boy remarked slyly, "you're brother here must be a really fucking horrible person, because he's been checking me out since this morning."

"I HAVE NOT!" Edward shouted, punching Envy on the shoulder.

"Ouch, shit…you know, you missed my face, shorty," the boy muttered.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE CAN'T EVEN REACH A PERSON'S FACE!?"

"Brother," Alphonse chastised as they entered the store. "We are in public, you have to be more polite."

"Me!? He's the one—" Al placed a finger on his brother's mouth.

"Hush."

Envy's laughter subsided as he took in the rows of shirts, jeans, hoodies, shoes…he shuddered.

Edward turned to him again, golden eyes smiling with the promise of vengeance for his earlier comments. "Go on, pick some stuff out."

"But it's all _horrible_," Envy mumbled, hesitantly poking at a striped shirt.

"Either you pick or we pick, Envy," Alphonse said in a singsong voice.

"You people really know how to torture a guy…" the green haired boy growled, heading over to look at some jeans.

* * *

"Come on out, Envy!" Edward called. He had been trying to get Envy out of the dressing room for almost five minutes.

"No! I told you, everything looks ridiculous!"

"Either you come out and show us or we bust open the door!" Alphonse added his bit.

"You and your fucking ultimatums…" Despite his complaints, Envy walked out of the room, shoulders hunched up inside a dark gray sweatshirt, hands thrust into the pockets of some extremely tight black pants. "See? This is stupid."

Edward couldn't disagree more. The sweatshirt, well, that was ordinary enough, but those jeans…they fit Envy, with how dark they were, and they were just _so tight_…

"See? Pipsqueak's speechless with horror."

Ed shook himself, closing his mouth (which he had not realized had fallen open). _No, no, no_, he chastised himself. _That train of thought stops right there_. "Actually," he admitted. "I think you look fine."

"Yeah, Envy," Alphonse agreed. "I like it!"

The green haired boy allowed himself to relax slightly. "Really?"

"Of course…though I would recommend adding some shoes," Edward said, raising an eyebrow as he took in Envy's still-bare feet.

Ed and Al dragged Envy over to the shoes, letting him scan the options. To their surprise, Envy's eyes lit up, and he grabbed a pair of boots.

"Uh, Envy?" Al asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" The green haired boy nodded enthusiastically. The boots he held were combat boots, chunky and made from some plastic-like material…and they were a bright, shiny purple. He plopped down on the floor, pulling them over his feet. "Look, they match my eyes!"

Edward had to agree, the shoes looked perfectly fine on Envy—probably it had to do with the other boy's personality. Whatever the cause, he wasn't about to deny Envy the one item he had really been excited about.

Alphonse seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Alright, Envy. Let's go find you some other stuff to match the boots."

* * *

Envy, Ed, and Al walked out of the stores, each laden with bags and the first in a considerably better mood. Not paying attention, Alphonse walked straight into a tall, muscular man who stood in front of them.

"'Scuse me," he murmured.

"Not happening, kid." The man pushed Alphonse away, and grabbed Envy.

"Oh," the green haired boy said, nonchalant. "Hey, Greed."

"Who!?" Edward asked, fists clenched.

"He's my brother," Envy explained, his words becoming strained as Greed lifted him off the ground.

"These two the reason you didn't fucking come home, Envy?" he growled. Envy, however, was unable to answer. Greed raised a fist, landing a solid punch into his brother's face. In retaliation, Envy kicked out, hitting Greed in the balls. He was dropped, and Alphonse and Edward stepped forward, stopping Greed just in time from stomping down on Envy's knee.

"Pretty shitty brother, don't you think, Al?" Ed asked, standing in front of Envy, who was coughing behind him.

"Terrible," Alphonse agreed, taking up a similar stance.

Greed snarled at them. "Get the fuck out of my way. This is a family matter—Envy _knows_ he's supposed to come home and give me my daily dose of ass."

Without another word, Greed came at them. Edward almost laughed, his method was so sloppy. He stuck out a leg, and Alphonse hit Greed's face as he fell. For good measure, Envy got in another kick of his own. As Greed tried to get up, Ed flipped him over, stepping down hard on his stomach.

Within a few more moments, Greed lay groaning on the roadside, and Envy was being pulled away by Al and Ed.

Once a safe distance away, Edward asked, "What did he _mean_, 'get his daily dose of ass'?"

"Just what it sounds like," Envy muttered. "Greed's just like his name, greedy, for money, popularity, expensive items, and sex."

Alphonse sped up once more, not liking the implications. Edward himself sighed, making a decision. That night, he was going to have to have a talk with Envy, and it wasn't going to be pleasant.


	6. Chapter 6

"Envy. Hey, Envy."

"Huh?" the green-haired boy woke up groggily. "Really, pipsqueak, do you have to fucking wake me up? It's Saturday tomorrow, I'm supposed to be able to sleep 'til noon."

"It's important," Edward insisted.

"Ugh," Envy moaned, forcing himself into a sitting position. "What the hell could be that important?"

Ed took a deep breath, preparing himself for the anger that was sure to come. "I need to know…well, I don't know what exactly. Your past in general, I guess."

Envy was still, statue-like, his eyes dark and narrowing. Still, he seemed to be reigning himself in."I _told_ you, fuckass, that's none of your business."

"Yes it _is_. You know me and Al want to help you, and I don't think I can do that without knowing anymore—not after what happened with Greed today."

Envy jumped up, bare-chested and tense. "_That was nothing_!"

Edward wasn't about to back down—the green-haired boy didn't _scare_ him. "Tell me!"

A sharp crack ran out through the dark living room as Envy's hand connected soundly with Ed's cheek. Edward turned back to the other junior, golden eyes alight with anger. _This_ was why he hadn't told Alphonse what he was doing. "Okay, we can do it that way." He pulled his hand back, and punched Envy, hard, sending him crashing back onto the couch.

Edward didn't give him time to recover, hitting him once more for good measure before crawling atop Envy, pinning him to the couch. The green haired boy, however, refused to be subdued, and brought his knee up to meet Ed's backside. Edward let out a, "Fuck!" and responded by kneeing Envy in the stomach.

"You done yet?" he asked, glaring at Envy, who's eyes stared right back. "You know you can't beat me."

Envy growled, an oddly animal sound, and it almost took Ed off guard. But just as suddenly, the body beneath him slackened, giving up the fight. Panting slightly, Edward relaxed his grip, adjusting his position so that he straddled Envy, ready to confine him again if necessary.

"Tell me," he whispered, sympathy taking hold of him now. "I just want to help…"

"You don't understand," Envy muttered, leaning his head back. "You _can't_."

"No, probably not," Edward conceded. "But I can promise I won't judge you."

The green haired boy stared at him for a moment before beginning. "You've got to know, my father…he's horrible. Beyond horrible. You think of a dad beating his son? Well, my father was worse. You're not stupid, you've noticed I have a pretty fucking weird name, and so does Greed. My father named us, all seven of his children—and yeah, that was on purpose—after the seven deadly sins. But he did _more_ than just name us, he _crafted_ us to fit our name."

Envy took a breath, while Edward sat upon him, just waiting. "I grew up in isolation, with just my father visiting every once in a while, more often when I was younger. A white room, perfectly square, with one transparent wall. As soon as I could speak, that bastard starting directing scenes behind the transparent wall. At first, it would be other little kids, playing with toys. After they left, he would come in and ask if I wanted what they had. I always said yes, thinking maybe he had brought me something to play with…but no. He was working at making me envious. As I got older, the people and what they had changed. He liked to show me birthday parties on my birthday, but refuse to let me have a cake or anything. My father would show me cars, and girlfriends with their boyfriends, and nice beds—I slept on a fucking _miniscule_ mattress—and cell phones. Everything I could ever want, and he made sure I never had it."

There was silence for a while, and Ed glanced at Envy, who was still staring at the ceiling. "And then, one day," the green haired boy whispered, "he let me go. You have to understand, up until my freshman year, I had never had anything, and never knew an emotion besides Envy. I wanted everything, and it made me violent. I hated seeing happy people, because I didn't—and still don't—think I can learn how to be happy after so long. So I turned to the drugs and the alcohol and being a whore to try to get that feeling. When I realized it wasn't working, I kept going, more and more of _every-fucking-thing_ to forget as best as I could…and it didn't help, living in a house with six other people who had grown up in a similar manner."

Edward was reeling inside. That was the height of psychological torture. He had expected something bad in Envy's past, but this…this was extreme. He didn't know what to say.

Instead, he let himself lean forward, arms snaking their way around Envy's neck, and he hugged the boy.

* * *

Envy snapped his head upright, looking down at the tiny blonde boy—who was fucking cuddling him. Who hugs someone like him?

"Ed, stop."

"No," came the simple response, not at all what Envy was expecting.

He narrowed his eyes. "Why the hell are you hugging me?"

"Because," Edward said, squeezing tighter, "you need a little love."

Envy raised his eyebrows, though the shrimp clinging to him couldn't see. That was a new one. "I don't deserve love." The words fell out of his mouth, an automatic reminder that he was a useless piece of shit.

"Yes you do, Envy," Ed insisted. "Everyone does. And you deserve to be happy to, and I think you could be. Just because you went through that doesn't mean you can't recover. How long did it take that man to think you were ready, nothing but jealousy? Up until you were a freshman. That's because it takes a long time to convince someone out of any other emotion. It won't be that hard to bring joy back, Envy."

"How do you know that?" he asked, trying hard to crush the hope welling up in his chest.

"Because I can tell you already feel other things. You reached out, after a while, to me and Al for help, and I think you want to get better. You know, where there's a will, there's a way."

Envy deigned not to respond, not to correct nor accept the blonde boy's words, instead wrapping his arms around Edward.

* * *

They sat like that for a long while, in the dark, until Envy finally spoke up once more. "You can't tell Alphonse, okay?" His voice was hoarse. "It's fucking embarrassing, is all."

Edward hadn't considered whether he would tell Al or not, but figured keeping Envy's secret was just as easy as sharing it. "Yeah, okay."

"Hey, Ed?"

Edward was only slightly surprised to hear his name instead of an insult. He smiled. "Hmm?"

"Thanks."


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh, Brother, can't I _please_ wake him up?"

Edward chuckled, shaking his head. It was adorable how eager Alphonse was to give Envy his reward.

For the entirety of the last week, Envy had been…good. There was no other word for it. He didn't complain about his new clothes (and even seemed to be getting used to them), didn't drink or smoke or anything, and even went to school every day.

And now, the Saturday after promising Envy his motorcycle back, it was time to keep their side of the agreement.

"Al, he's had to wake up early for the past week. If you get him up now, I doubt he'll be awake enough to register anything."

"But it's _noon_," Alphonse complained.

"Give him another half hour," Ed suggested.

* * *

They walked Envy out to the front of the house, making sure his blindfold stayed in place. The green haired boy, having no idea what was happening, kept up a steady stream of complaints. "This is stupid, why can't I just see where the hell I'm going? You did _not_ have to get me up just to torture me like this."

"Okay, Envy!" Al said, stopping the taller boy. "Take off the blindfold."

Both brothers watched Envy's face as he removed the fabric, immediately catching sight of the large black bike waiting in front of him. His eyes widened, and his mouth grew into a smile. Envy walked a few steps forward, stroking the handlebars, looking like he might cry. "_Fuck_ yes!" he whispered. The green haired boy turned to Ed and Al, beaming. "Thank you. Thank you so much!"

Alphonse smiled back. "You earned it, Envy."

"So," Envy went on, "either of you brave enough to ride?"

Edward glanced at the motorcycle, weighing his options…

"Ooh, yes!" Al jumped forward, and Envy motioned him onto the bike behind him.

"You're up next, Ed!" Envy shouted, starting it up and speeding off down the street.

Ed didn't know about that. He didn't want to say he was afraid, but—he winced, watching Envy pull a hairpin turn, the bike leaning at an absurdly small angle, almost touching the ground. He could tell, even from this distance, that Alphonse was laughing.

Edward smiled, watching them. He had to admit, Envy looked _right_ on the motorcycle. He was leaning forward, grinning toothily, his wild hair streaming back…

They skidded to a stop in front of Ed, and Al clambered off the bike, looking exhilarated.

"C'mon, pipsqueak, your turn!" the green haired boy urged.

Edward stepped forward, swinging his leg over the machine hesitantly. No way was he going to back down…

"I suggest you hold on, Ed, you'll fall off," Envy snickered. Sticking his tongue out, Ed did as he was told.

And then he was flying down the road, clinging to Envy for dear life, the wind so strong he was afraid it would pull his braid apart. It was terrifying, more so than Ed had expected. The speed was intense, and, when Envy leaned in for a turn, Edward was convinced he was going to fall off.

But at the same time, it was better than he had anticipated. He was flush against the green haired boy in front of him, to the point where he was convinced he could feel the adrenaline accelerated heartbeat from under Envy's shirt. Ed could hear said boy laughing with glee, and somehow that made him feel just a smidgeon more secure about the situation.

And then it was over. They were parked.

"Uh, Ed? You can come out now," Envy teased.

Edward hadn't realized that his face was pretty much buried in Envy's back until then. Blushing furiously, he climbed down, the sudden lack of speed making him a little dizzy.

Envy flipped the kickstand down, patting his bike fondly. "Fun, right guys?"

"Yes!" Alphonse shouted. Ed merely nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

* * *

As another reward, the brothers offered to let Envy control the TV that night.

He flipped through the channels, skipping up into the hundreds. He flicked through the selections so fast, it was a wonder he could tell what he was looking at.

"Ooh!" he squealed suddenly. "_Project Runway_! I love that show!"

Edward looked at the green haired boy, wondering if he had somehow managed to sneak some drugs in or if he was just naturally that exuberant.

Alphonse huffed, pulling himself off the couch. "I'll go get dinner started."

"No, no, no!" Envy jumped up, blocking Al's path into the kitchen. "I want to make it tonight.

"You can cook?" Ed asked, surprised.

"Of course I can cook; I didn't exactly have a parent around for that most of the time. I had to learn." Edward nodded, feeling bad that he had forced Envy to bring that up again. At the same time, it was interesting to see the green haired boy make such a confession in front of Alphonse.

Al looked back and forth between Ed and Envy, not understanding what the latter meant. "What about your show?"

Envy waved him off. "I can watch it any time, thanking you guys is more important."

As Envy disappeared into the kitchen, Alphonse glanced at Edward. "Are we sure this is the same Envy?"

"I hope he makes stew," Ed mused, ignoring Al's question. "I can't believe something with milk in it could taste so good!"

"Your request has been noted!" Envy called.

* * *

"Yeeesss," Edward moaned, taking in the sight of three hefty bowls of stew waiting for them on the table. Envy, who had been about to say something, snorted, choking on his laughter.

"Thanks, Envy," Alphonse chimed, digging in.

Edward could only nod, his mouth full.

"Oh, and by the way, Ed," the green haired boy sniggered, "I added extra milk in yours."

Edward looked around for a suitable projectile, deciding on a spoon. He chucked it at Envy, going back to his food.

"That is _not_ a good way to convince me not to be violent."

Ed swallowed. "What are you, a kindergartner? Do as I say, not as I do."

* * *

As the two continued to banter back and forth, Alphonse stayed silent, rather amused by the whole situation. It had been a good day: Envy was getting better, he had gotten to ride a motorcycle, and Ed seemed to be getting along with the green haired boy—which, considering his earlier attitude about taking Envy in, was a real accomplishment.

Al took another bite. Everything was just about perfect.


	8. Chapter 8

Edward glanced at the clock, placing the finishing touches on his sandwich. One o'clock? He expected Envy to sleep this late—and he was right, the green haired boy was still passed out on the couch—but Alphonse…maybe he wasn't feeling well. Ed placed his sandwich on the table, heading down the hall to check on his brother.

"Hey, Al, are you alri—holy shit!" he shouted, catching sight of Alphonse lying, not sleeping but _unconscious_ on his bed. Al's face was dripping with blood, staining his white sheets an alarming red. A bloody knife lay on the floor, and as Edward went to inspect it, rage rose up inside him.

The curved blade, black handle, red design…it was Envy's knife.

Ed had to beat down the urge to go kill the asshole. He needed to get Alphonse help first.

His fingers jabbed the buttons on his cell phone, suppressed anger looking for an outlet. "Hello, 911, what is your emergency?"

"My brother—" Ed broke off, weighing his options. Tell them it was Envy or take revenge himself…? "—someone attacked him. He hasn't woken up and his face is bleeding badly."

"We are sending you an emergency vehicle now."

"Thank you." Edward hung up. He took a deep breath, looking down at Alphonse. He searched for the wound—or wounds—and found two deep gashes, one down the side of Al's cheek, and one across his forehead. From what Ed could tell, they were deep, but not life-threatening. Alphonse's pulse was stable, and Edward could see his chest rising and falling. He would be alright—most likely, he would need stitches, but he would certainly live.

Assured, Ed stalked back into the living room. He debated for a moment, and then kicked the couch over, spilling the still-sleeping Envy onto the floor.

"Fuck!" the green-haired boy shouted, instantly awake. He looked up, and saw Edward. "The hell, pipsqueak?"

Ed wasn't in the mood. He pulled Envy up, and backhanded him. "Don't play dumb, asshole. I saw what you did to my brother."

Envy glared down at Edward, hands clenching into fists. "What the fuck are you even _talking _about?"

Edward dangled the knife in front of Envy's face. "You sliced his face up! Don't deny it, this is _your fucking knife_! How could you!?"

"You're a dipshit, why would I be all nice and cook you fuckers dinner and then pull some stupid shit like that the next morning?"

"I don't know why you do anything!" Ed exploded, throwing the knife down and punching Envy in the face.

"I'm not even fucking fighting back!" Envy shouted, purple eyes narrowing. "If I was going to cut Al up, I sure as hell wouldn't let you pull this shit and not even hit back! Besides, that's not even my knife!"

"Bullshit!" Edward yelled. "I can't believe you! We tried to help, fed you, gave you a home, dammit! And then you do this to Alphonse?" He heard sirens in the distance. "He was the one who wanted to help, you know! I got used to it, but Al was the one who convinced me to let you stay after you threatened me. I should've known better!"

Ed's voice fell to a whisper, his anger fading to hurt. "How could you?" he asked again. "Just when I was starting to like you…"

Envy's expression relaxed into disbelief. "What?"

Edward could have smacked himself. Face red, he once again resorted to screaming. "Nothing—it doesn't matter what I might have felt!"

The sirens blared louder and louder, finally resting as the ambulance parked outside the house. As Ed moved to open the door, he made sure his last words were just loud enough for Envy to hear. "Because I can never forgive you for this."

* * *

Alphonse slept in the hospital chair, fifteen stitches lining the side and top of his face. With the doctor gone ("You can take him home as soon as he wakes up, he's lost a lot of blood is all,"), Edward was the only one still watching over his little brother.

He wasn't much of a guard, though. Ed was too busy dealing with his own problems.

How could he have let this happen to Alphonse? It was Edward's duty as an older brother to look out for him, and he had failed. But how could he have predicted Envy would go berserk like that? Sure, a couple weeks ago, Envy had been a serious threat to consider, but now…he had improved so much. Edward had been able to convince the green haired boy he could be happy, and Envy had been so much _nicer_ since the night they had talked. And then, suddenly, this…

Ed put his head in his hands. It was too much for him.

"Brother?"

Edward's head snapped right back up, and he jumped out of his own chair to hug his brother. "Alphonse! I'm so sorry!"

"Wait, what? Where am I?" Al looked around, and apparently that caused a twinge of pain in one of his cuts. "Ah!"

"You're at the hospital, you had to get stitches. I can't believe I'm so stupid, I'm sorry! I had no idea Envy would do this, I should have never let him stay…"

"Brother, what are you talking about?"

Edward looked at Alphonse oddly. "You didn't lose your memory did you? I went in to wake you up around one and your face was all cut up…"

"Yes," Al said impatiently, "I remember that. But what are you saying about Envy?"

"Alphonse!" Ed half-shouted, "You can't still defend that jackass after he did this to you!"

"Brother, that's just what I'm saying." Alphonse stared at Edward in disbelief. "He didn't do this! You know how I always sleep with my window open? I woke up to this little kid staring at me—he must have come in through the window. _He's _the one who cut me."

"B-but—" Ed couldn't believe what he was hearing. "It was Envy's knife!"

"Maybe he found it and used that," Al shrugged. "All I know is that it definitely wasn't Envy."

Edward was silent, struck dumb. All he could think about were his parting words to the green haired boy, about how he could never forgive him.

What had he done?


	9. Chapter 9

Edward walked Alphonse to the door, and stopped. "Do you mind just…heading to your—actually, no, your room's still a mess, I'll clean it up later. My room then. Could you head to my room and just let me talk to Envy? I…I really need to apologize."

Al nodded, walking into the house, while Ed waited for a moment out front.

* * *

Envy jumped up as soon as Alphonse walked in. "Al, I swear, it wasn't me, it was—"

"Some little kid, I know. I woke up and saw him."

"It was my brother, Wrath, he's a little dick. He—"

"This can wait," Al interrupted. "Brother wants to talk to you."

Immediately, Envy was sullen, plopping back down onto the couch and curling up. "Does he really? What's he gonna blame me for this time?"

"Don't be like that, he's sorry," Alphonse chided. "I'll be in my room."

Envy raised his eyebrow. "It's a mess in there."

"Yes, I know," Al sighed. "But brother's not one for remembering to clean, so I'll have to take care of it."

* * *

As the voices faded, Edward took a deep breath. Time to face the shitstorm he had created. He opened the door, entering the living room to see Envy pulled up into a ball in a corner of the couch.

The green haired boy locked eyes with him, vibrant purple with gold, and Edward found himself unable to speak. Finally, the words burst forward. "I'm sorry!"

Envy looked away at last, anger twisting his features. "I kept trying to tell you it wasn't me," he told the wall. "But you wouldn't fucking listen! _It was Wrath_. My brother. Our father gave each of us a knife like mine after he decided we were ready to get out of the white room. The red symbol is what he has chosen as our family's symbol, the mark of Ouroboros."

"I'm sorry," Ed repeated, walking hesitantly toward the couch. He took a seat, but Envy didn't budge. "I was just worried about Alphonse, I was acting like an idiot—"

"No shit."

"—and I wasn't thinking."

Envy turned to him, and Edward wished he hadn't. What he had mistaken for anger was something worse: betrayal, and it was etched into every line of Envy's face.

"Why did you automatically blame me, though? You took my fucking knife—I still don't know where it is—so I wouldn't have had a weapon. Plus you _know_ I've been better. Why would I fuck everything up like this? How could you think that?"

Edward didn't have an answer. The green haired boy went on, "I trusted you, you know. That night that I told you _every-fucking-thing_ about my life. I don't go around telling everyone, but I trusted you…and you couldn't trust me not to hurt your brother."

Ed was silent for a minute, and when he spoke, it was quiet. "Well, I'm trusting you when I tell you this: I'm fucked up, too. Ever since my dad left, and then my mom died, I've had trouble believing that anything can be good. So when something awesome happens, I automatically assume that it's a fake, or it's not as great as it seems, because that way my expectations are low and I don't run as high a risk of being disappointed or hurt. When you started to improve so fast…I did the same thing. I assumed it was too good to be true, and I was just waiting for the thing that made me happy to fall apart again."

Envy finally, finally loosed up, uncurling himself and scooting closer to Edward. "Me improving made you happy?"

Edward nodded, biting his lip. In all honesty, he had never wanted to admit this to Envy, but if it made the green haired boy forgive him…

* * *

Envy couldn't stop staring at Ed. He had never realized the blonde was messed up inside, just like he was. And really…could he blame Edward for blaming _him_? Envy wasn't so deluded as to think that a single week of behaving meant he was perfectly fine, and there was no way Ed should think so either.

He reached out, pulled the blonde closer, and hugged him.

"Then I'm sorry, too."

* * *

Edward allowed himself to be held. "Why are _you_ sorry? You didn't do anything,"

"Yeah, I did," Envy murmured. "I was making you happy, and then me being a whiny bitch and not forgiving you right away made you sad."

This couldn't be Envy, not really. Envy wouldn't be so sweet, right? Ed felt his heart begin to beat faster, and he tried to be more positive. What if this _was_ Envy? What if this was who he was when he was…better? Edward snuggled into the green haired boy's embrace, fighting everything inside him that said to run before he was hurt.

"So," Envy said, tone conversational. "Did you mean what you said earlier?"

"What are you talking about?" Hadn't he just apologized for what he said earlier? Of course he didn't mean it!

"When you said you were just starting to like me."

Edward put all his effort into not getting flustered, but he couldn't stop the red flush that crept into his cheeks. He didn't respond.

"C'mon," Envy whined, "tell me!"

"Yes."

Ed could _sense_ the green haired boy grinning, though he couldn't see it. "And…how do you mean that?"

Edward was panicking. He pulled away, looked at Envy. There had to be a way to avoid this. "I don't understand?"

"Do you mean you're beginning to think I'm an okay person and maybe we could be friends," Envy began, leaning forward until he was whispering in Ed's ear, "or do you mean you _like _me, like you _want_ me?"

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. How was Edward supposed to get out of this one? He could hardly lie, with how red his face had become. Really, Envy probably already knew, and just wanted to hear him say it.

Fine. "Like I want to be with you," he whispered, ducking his head. How the roles had reversed! Not ten minutes ago, Envy was the one curled up defensively, and now it was Edward's turn.

"That's what I thought," Envy whispered, running his smiling mouth down Ed's cheek. "Good thing I want to be with you, too."

Envy kissed him.

* * *

Silently, Alphonse closed the crack in the door through which he had been eavesdropping. He had been able to hear only snippets of the conversation, but heard enough to know that his brother had just confessed to Envy—and now they were kissing! That was too far.

Al sighed. He would have to have a talk with his brother. But not now—not with the noises coming from the living room.


	10. Chapter 10--End

By the time Edward made his way back into his room, it was dark. Envy was waiting for him on the couch—he would just grab a quick change of clothes and—

"Brother."

Ed could not suppress a shiver, having never heard Alphonse speak with so much disapproval. He hadn't _forgotten_ about his brother, necessarily, he had just been…distracted. Honestly, Edward had been hoping Al would have fallen asleep.

He turned, trying to be casual. "Hey, Al."

Alphonse simply stared at him. Ed dared not to say anything, and finally Al spoke. "Explain?"

"Explain what?" he asked cautiously. He didn't know how much Alphonse knew, and _really_ didn't want to give up anything he didn't have to. Looking back on it, Edward should have thought about this before he decided to do all that with Envy…and on the couch no less.

"Brother!" Al hissed. "You know what I'm talking about! I wanted you to make _up_ with Envy, not make _out_ with him!"

Edward blushed at Alphonse's bluntness, hoping against hope his brother didn't realize exactly what their "making out" entailed. Immediately he was on the defensive. "Hey, you're the one who was so eager to have him here, and invite him to dinner at the beginning of your little project, _and_ you wanted me to be nicer to him. Now we're getting alone fine."

"There's a difference between being nice to someone and sucking their—"

Ed slapped a hand over his brother's mouth. "Fucking hell, Al, were you _watching_?"

Alphonse wrestled his face free, his voice a monotone as he responded. "You guys are really loud."

Edward took a deep breath to calm himself. "Okay, well, I'll admit we got a bit carried away, me in particular. But I'm really do like him, Al! A lot…" he trailed off.

"Brother, it's _dangerous_."

"Oh, right, like you have any reason to talk!" Ed's voice rose. "I told you he was dangerous first thing, and you didn't listen. Now that he's better, suddenly he's a threat in your eyes!"

"I meant being in a relationship with him," Al said, infuriatingly calm. "He is improving, but that doesn't mean you need to get that involved with him."

"Look, if I like Envy, I'm going to be with him. You can't tell me I'm not allowed, I'm _older_ than you."

"Age isn't everything, evidently I'm way smarter—" Alphonse was interrupted by the window just beside him shattering, a heavy rock thumping to the floor.

The brothers ceased their argument, and looked outside. Standing in their yard was a small group of people; Edward counted seven, six standing behind the last one. With a jolt, Ed recognized Greed. At the same time, Al gasped, "That's Wrath! The one who cut me! These…"

"They're all Envy's siblings," Edward whispered, voice hard. "And I'll bet the one in front is his father."

Without another word, Ed rushed out of his room, heading for the front door.

"Brother, no! You can't go take them all on—"

"I'm not interested in all of them, I'm just going to go pound the shit out of that dickwad who dares to call himself a father."

"Am I missing something?" Al asked, following Ed onto the porch.

He never got a response, though. Edward was struck into silence by the scene before him: Envy's father, backed up by his six other children, and Envy…

Envy standing in front of them all, staring his father down.

"W-what are you doing, Envy!?" he finally choked out, running down to the green haired boy's side, despite Al's efforts to stop him (and his mutters of "I _told_ you he was dangerous, you're going to get yourself killed for him").

Envy didn't address him, instead speaking to his father. "What're you doing here, shit face?"

His father sneered, but thankfully didn't move towards Envy. "Who the hell told you you were allowed to just fucking leave? Those two?" he pointed to Ed and Al. "I had Wrath here take care of the one. He's a _good_ son. You should get your sorry ass back home before I decide to do anything else."

Envy stood tall, shoulders back. Edward saw the most shocking difference in the green haired boy; before, he had always _acted_ sure of himself, but what Ed saw now was real confidence. "No," he said simply.

"You little _fucker_! You don't tell _me_ no!" the man roared, lunging towards Envy, who ducked to avoid a blow.

"_Yes_," he responded, violent eyes gem-like, hard and gleaming, "I _do_. You're a sick bastard, and I'm _fucking done_ with your shit." This time, he wasn't so lucky and was hit in the side. Envy doubled over, gasping, and Edward moved to defend him.

But as soon as Envy had his breath back, he was talking again. "You taught me nothing but pain and envy. With you I was _nothing_, but I _know_ better now. I'm know what happiness is, and I'm _not_ about to give it up for a jackass like you."

Again, his father moved towards him, and Envy dodged, kicking him in the crotch. While the man was down, he finished his speech. "Al has helped me a lot, and he's a good friend, and Ed gave me hope and I _like_ him. I've never gotten to feel something like that before, and I'm not turning back from it."

"I'll kill them," his father wheezed, "I'll kill them and make you _watch_!"

Envy held up an object, which Edward recognized as his cell phone. "Three numbers. I punch in three numbers and the police are here in minutes. You might have us dead by then, but you'll get caught, because I'll tell them who you are. I'll have enough time to do that just on the phone. But I'll make you a deal: if you leave now, and _never_ come back—or send anyone back here—to hurt me, or Al, or Ed…I won't call the police. I won't tell anyone what you've done. You can keep at your shitty little life. Your choice."

Ed prepared himself to fight, sure that Envy's father would never agree to this. Surely a man who was capable of what he had done wouldn't care about the threat of the police…but the man was backing down. He was walking backwards to the road, his children following suit. The man's eyes were full of hate, but Envy didn't back down.

And just like that, they were gone.

"Unbelievable," Edward breathed.

"Why did he leave?" Al asked.

Envy laughed. "He was arrested once—just once. He escaped, but he met a man, Roy Mustang. I swear, this Mustang has it out for that bastard, and I hear he's more than happy to get into the shady side of the law to take down someone he has a grudge against. I think Mustang's the only person my asshole of a father is actually afraid of."

Edward couldn't help himself; he hugged Envy, relieved that everyone was safe. Alphonse coughed behind them.

Turning around, Ed glared at his little brother. "Don't start that again, Al. I told you, this is my decision, and I want to stay with Envy."

"I know," Alphonse sighed. "And considering he just chased all those people off, I can't really say he's _dangerous_ right now—"

"Oh, I'm still dangerous," Envy interjected.

"—so I won't argue. Just, Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"No more on the couch. Please."

Edward blushed to the roots of his blonde hair, while Envy snickered, apparently unabashed. "Yeah, yeah, okay," Ed muttered, wanting to stay away from the subject.

Envy looked about, a wide grin on his face. "Well, I guess this is happily ever after, motherfuckers!"

Al and Ed looked at each other, smiling at Envy's wording. "Happily ever after."


	11. Author's Note

And, the end! I say this about most of my stories, but I REALLY loved writing Service. It was different, my first AU story. I usually don't like AUs, so to find myself enjoying this was unexpected. You'll definitely see more in the future.

I have to say a special thank you to everyone who reviewed this fic; I have NEVER gotten so many reviews, and all the positivity was really great. Your reviews lifted my moods and made me super uber motivated to continue, so thank you~! 3

I have an idea for another Edvy fic, though I'm not sure when I'll start. I also have plenty of Royed, so keep checking back for more~


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